Anchoring device



March 11, 1952 WW1-mm; 2,588,712

ANCHORING DEVICE Filed March 25, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET l Waller W. FerrisJNVENToR.

March 1l, 1952 wjw, FERRls ANCHORING DEVICE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed March23, 1948 Fig. 7.

Inventor Waller W. Ferris B] Q w puny MMS Patented Mar. 11, 1952 UNITEDSTATES GFFICE ANCHORING DEVICE Walter W. Ferris, Fredonia, Kans.

Application'March 23, 1948, Serial No. 16,429

Claims. l

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in anchoringdevices and the primary object of the present invention is to provide amechanical deadman and line stretcher that is quickly and readilyembedded in a trench, bore or the like in a convenient manner.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide ananchoring device including a casing which is embedded in the groundsurface, and a novel and improved anchor member having a plurality ofbendable prongs that are extended outwardly from the casing to engagethe terrain as the anchor member is driven into the casing.

A further object of the presentinvention is to provide a mechanicaldeadman and line stretcher that is small and compact in struc ture andwhich is so designed as `to permit a single operator to insert the sameinto a trench or the like in a'shorter length of time than washeretofore possible with anchoring devices now in use.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide an anchoringdevice that is simple and practical in construction, strong and reliablein use, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise welladapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional View showingthe present invention embedded in a trench and showing the anchor memberin a raised position and the upper closure removed from the casing;

Figure 2 is a similar view of Figure l, and showing the anchor member ina lowered position and the upper closure applied to the casing;

Figure 3 is a transverse horizontal sectional view taken substantiallyin the plane of section line 3 3 of Figure l;`

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the bearing element used inconjunction with the present invention for spreading the prongs of theanchor member;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the anchor member used in conjunctionwith the present invention;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the invention inmodied form, and showing the jack or lifting mechanism used in,conjunction with the modified formof the invention applied thereto;

Figure 7 is a perspective View of the collar that is employed with thejack illustrated in Figure 6; and,

Figure 8 is a perspective View of the bearing ring used in conjunctionwith the jack illustrated in Figure 6.

Referring now to the drawings in details, wherein for the purpose ofillustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the numeral it represents the lower substantially cylindricalsection of the casing used in conjunction with the present invention.The lower end i2 of the lower section l0 is externally threaded toreceivably engage the internally threaded, annular flanged portion I4 ofa lower closure i6. The upper end I8 of the lower section l@ is alsoexternally threaded to receivably engage an internally threaded couplingring or collar 26 that is provided with a plurality of circumferentiallyspaced prong receiving openings 22.

The coupling ring 20 also receivably engagesthe lower externallythreaded end 2li of an upper cylindrical section 26 which is spacedrelatively to the upper end I8 of the lower section i0. An externallythreaded bearing element or ring 28 engages the internal threads of thecoupling ring 2t, is disposed between the adjacent ends oi' the lowerand upper sections, andfrictionally engages the upper end I8 of thelower section I0. This bearing element 23 is formed with an outwardlyand downwardly inclined bearing surface sii that is positioned inwardlyfrom the inner periphery of the upper and lower sections andcommunicates with the openings 22 in the coupling ring 2li.

The numeral 32 represents a sleeve-like support that isslidably mountedin the upper section 26 for movement into the lower section HJ. Thissupport 32 is irictionally embraced by a removable, substantiallycylindrical'anchor member 34 having a plurality of circumferentiallyspaced, longitudinal slots 36 to provide arcuate strips an opposed pairof which are pointed and form ground engaging prongs 4B. The support 32and anchor member 34 are provided with opposed apertures 4'2 and 44'that removably engage a connecting pin 46 the ends of which slidablyengage opposed longitudinal slots 48 provided in thev upper section 26.

In practical use of the present invention, a suitable post 55) isinserted in the upper externally threaded end 52 of the upper section 26and the pin it is raised in the slots 22, The post 56 driven downwardlyto force the pin d6 downward ly in the slots 43, andthe anchor member 34and support member 32 into the lower section. iii. As

the anchor member 34 is forced downwardly, the pointed ends of theprongs 49 frictionally engage the bearing surface 30 of the bearingelement 28 to force the prongs 40 outwardly from the openings 22 atright angles to each other to extend into the inner wall of a bore ortrench 54 formed in the ground surface 5'5.

After the anchor member 34 has been driven into the lower section l0, anupper closure 58 is xed on the upper end 52 and is provided with aswivel eye-member 6 that engages a line which is to be tightened oranchored.`

Reference is now directed to Figures 6, 7 and 8, wherein there isdisclosed the means used in conjunction with the modied form of theinvention for removing the anchor member 34 and its ground engagingprongs 4G from the coupling ring 20. In these figures, the anchor member34 is integrally formed with a head portion 62 having an internallythreaded socket 84 that receivably engages the reduced externallythreaded end 56 of a feed screw 68 that is slidably and adjustablymounted in the upper section 26.

Lockably engaging recesses or notches 'l0 provided in the upper end 52of the upper section 2S, are circumferentially spaced depending lugs l2fixed to the lower face of a bearing ring 14 which is provided with areduced extension 16 that fits loosely into the upper end 52 of theupper section 26.

Bearing upon the upper face of the ring 14, is an actuating sleeve orcollar 'I9 that receivably engages the threaded upper end 88 of the feedscrew 68. The outer surface of the collar 78 is formed with a pluralityof tool engaging recesses 82 whereby the collar may be rotated toselectively raise or lower the feed screw 68. As the feed screw 68 israised, the anchor member 34 and support 32 will likewise be raised sothat the same may be reused.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of thedevice will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A moredetailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shownand described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same issusceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of theinvention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An anchoring device comprising a casing including an upper sectionand a lower section, removable closures for said sections, means forcoupling said sections to each other, a support slidably mounted in theupper section, an anchor member embracing said support, means slidablyand removably positioning said support and said anchor member in theupper section for movement into the lower section and for holding thesupport against rotation relative to said casing, said Yanchor memberincluding bendable prongs, said coupling means having a plurality ofprong engaging openings, and means adjustably carried by said couplingmeans between the adjacent ends of said sections and extending radiallyinwardly of the sections for engaging and directing the prongs outwardlyfrom the openings in said coupling means upon movement of said supportand said anchor member into the lower section.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said 4 last mentioned meansincludes a bearing element having a downwardly and outwardly inclinedupper surface disposed adjacent the openings in said coupling means forslidably engaging the prongs. Y

3. An anchoring device comprising a tubular member having upper andlower ends, openings in said member intermediate its ends, a ringcarried by said member adjacent the openings and including an innerperiphery concentric with the inner periphery of said member and adownwardly and outwardly sloping surface extending radially inwardlyfrom the inner periphery of said member, a support slidably mountedwithin the member and the ring, and an anchor member embracing andattached to the support, said anchor member including a plurality ofbendable prongs having lower ends for riding against the sloping surfaceof said ring and through the openings as the support is forced into thelower end of said member.

4. An anchoring device comprising upper and lower tubular sections, acoupling collar joining the adjacent ends of said sections, the adjacentends of said sections being spaced apart, a camlike member supportedupon the upper end of the lower section and attached to the collar, saidcam-like member extending radially inwardly from the inner peripheriesof said sections, said collar having openings in registry with saidcamlike member, a support slidably and non-rotatably carried by theupper section and movable into the lower section, and an anchor memberembracing the support and attached to the support for movementtherewith, said anchor member including a plurality of bendable prongsfor riding against the cam-like member and through the openings as thesupport is moved into the lower section to reinforce and strengthen thelower section.

5. An anchoring device comprising a casing including an upper sectionand a lower section, a support slidably carried by the upper section formovement into the lower section, means guiding the sliding movement ofthe support and preventing rotation of the support relative to thecasing, means connecting the lower end of said upper section to theupper end of said lower section, an anchor member carried by the supportincluding a plurality of bendable prongs, and means detachably andadjustably carried by said connecting means for spreading the prongsoutwardly from the casing substantially at right angles to the casing asthe support is extended into the lower section, said connecting meansincluding a coupling band having a plurality of prong engaging openings,said means for spreading the prongs including a ring threaded to theband and having a sloping surface, said ring being disposed between theadjacent ends of the sections and extending radially inwardly of saidsections.

WALI'ER W. FERRIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 707,683 Farwell Aug. 26, 1902809,879 Wiltse Jan. 9, 1906 904,198 Haase Nov. 17, 1908 954,510 FuchApr. 12, 1910 958,127 Hovrud May 17, 1910 1,948,856 Heinrich Feb. 27,1934 2,396,276 Lang Mar. 12, 1946

